1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method for production of a housing shell for a hearing aid device as well as a hearing aid device of the type having a housing shell, an input transducer for acquisition of an input signal and transducing it into an electrical input signal, a signal processing unit for processing the electrical input signal, an output transducer for transducing the processed electrical input signal into an output signal that can be perceived by a user as an acoustic signal, and an antenna or coil for wireless signal transmission between the hearing aid device and a further apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modern hearing aid devices frequently offer the possibility of wireless signal transmission between the hearing aid device and a further apparatus, for example a further hearing aid device, a communication apparatus or a remote control. Such hearing aid devices have an antenna or coil for wireless transmission and reception of data.
The housing of a hearing aid device that can be worn in the ear (ItE) frequently has an individually-shaped housing shell and a prefabricated faceplate. For simplification of the manufacturer process, hearing aid device components (such as sound transducers, components for signal processing and a battery for voltage supply) are arranged on the faceplate as far as possible. The antenna or coil required for wireless transmission or reception also can be arranged on the faceplate during the manufacturing process, but this increases the space requirement for arrangement of components on the faceplate. It is also difficult to individually align the antenna or, respectively, coil arranged on the faceplate. Moreover, the available space in the auditory canal is frequently not optimally utilized, depending on the individual anatomy of the auditory canal.
In the manufacture of hearing aid devices, methods are known, for production of housing shells in which data about the individual auditory canal of a hearing device user are initially acquired. A computer model of the housing shell of a hearing aid device to be produced is generated from the data in a CAD process. In addition to the individual housing shell, the remaining components of the hearing aid device (sound transducer, signal processors, battery etc.) are also generated as virtual computer models. The hearing aid device thus can already be generated using the computer model before the actual production. Using the computer model it can be clarified whether the desired components fit in the individual housing shell. If necessary, the design of the housing shell can be adapted or other components can be selected. For production of the housing shell, the data so acquired are finally supplied to a machine that generates an individual housing shell from the computer model. Such machines are well known from the field of rapid prototyping. The production can ensue according to different methods, of which the SLS method (selective laser sintering), the SLA method (stereo lithography) or the DLP method (digital light processing) are customary for production of housing shells of hearing aid devices. For a hearing aid device wearable in the ear, a subsequently-produced individual housing shell is normally combined with an industrially prefabricated faceplate that already carries a majority of the electronic hearing aid device components.
A method for production of an individual housing shell for a hearing aid device, wherein the housing shell is adapted to the contours of an auditory canal of a user, is known from EP 0 516 808 E1. The method is based on process steps that are known from the field of rapid prototyping.
A mount for attachment of an earpiece in a hearing aid device is known from United States Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0074138. The mount has components fashioned in one piece with the housing shell, the components being produced simultaneously with the housing.
A hearing device in which an antenna is fashioned in the material of the housing or as an electrically-conductive layer on the hearing device housing is known from DE 102004017832 B3. The housing is used as a carrier material for the antenna and the space for the antenna (that would otherwise be provided on the circuit board, for example) can be foregone.
A hearing device with an antenna that is integrated into the housing of the hearing device is known from DE 10115896 A1.
The attachment of an antenna or coil for wireless signal transmission on a prefabricated faceplate is problematic be cause the mounting system must be altered due to this additional component and because of the space requirement additionally required for this. Moreover, the usage capability of the faceplate is severely limited.